Once arrived at Seiruun Castle, guards, maids, and King Philionel himself came and greeted Amelia. "My daughter!"
"Daddy!"
Amelia and King Phil ran and hugged each other, everybody else sweatdropped.
"Oh, and who are these people? And where is Jeffrey?" Phil gestured to the 'Pirates' and looked at his daughter.
"Jeffrey is umm ... . resting, and Daddy, I would like to talk to you about my betroth with him-"
"Later, my daughter, later. You must tell me what has happened to you on this trip. Why don't you rest for awhile and then come talk to, okay?" Phil smiled and Amelia nodded.
"Show these guesses to their rooms at once. Provide what is needed for them." Phil ordered the maids and turned back to the group. "Join my daughter and I later on, please. I would like to know everything. I must be off to a meeting now." Phil smiled and went off.
Something in Naga tugged, but she couldn't tell what had. Oh, well.
Everyone had one of the guests' room and was now making the most out of staying in a castle for free. Gourry tried to shove down as much food he could, while Zel sipped coffee, cup after cup, looking at Gourry eat made him feel embarrassed. Xelloss was with them and giggled at the scene, making the best out of that. Naga was mixing up new forms of alcohol and drinking down tank loads of it. After awhile of 'chilling out', one of the maids came and said it was King Philionel's order for them to take a bath and relax before coming to see him in the throne room. Everyone nodded and was off to do their duties.
Once Zel was settled in his room, someone knocked on his door.
"Come in." Blonde hair showed up first, then came in the rest of the body.
"What do you want, Gourry?" Zel asked the blonde man.
Gourry came in with a blank face, wearing only his pants and shirt.
"Nothing. I just came in to ask if you remember the way to the Throne room, King Phil wanted us to go? I've been walking all over the place and I didn't see one maid passing by, and the guards wouldn't answer me when I ask them something." Gourry scratch his empty head.
Zel sighed and got up from the chair. "Yeah, I remember. Let's go because I'm done with everything too." Zel opened the door and went out, Gourry in tow.
"Where's Xelloss?" Gourry asked, as they walk down the castle.
The castle wasn't really anything much, just like any other castle would be like. Except on some portion on the wall, there would be pictures of every king there was who ruled over Seiruun.
"He's probably there already." Zel answered boredly.
"Oh, okay."
The castle is beautiful. Naga thought, as she walked down by the castle. It grew splendid dandelions and in some portions of the body, there grew red and white roses. Naga never had any chances like these, taking a walk down a castle like this one was very relaxing, more so than taking a dip in any hot springs.
She remembered she used to take walks like these, with someone very special to her, when she was very young. But her mind stopped remembering when that important person died. Her memories died out and recharged itself when she was now in Mother Tibbly's care, where she had met young Reddy or now Lina of the Inverse Clan. They were best of friends before, but then ... stuff happened, life happened.
Lina was six years old, Mother Tibbly's cares was up, she had to go. Didn't know why she, herself, didn't have to go though, she lived there until she remembered herself to be twelve. But soon left too, to find her best friend ... .. and rival. Naga smiled at the fond memories of chasing after Lina everywhere she would go. Lina was like a sister to her ... but something still clung on Naga's heart about this castle.
Naga set her lips into a grim line after awhile. This castle seem so familiar, some pictures on the castle wall was familiar too. One of them, Naga thought she'd seen it somewhere before: a little girl, about 4 or 5, clung to a lady's leg. The lady had hair just like she had now. There were some other people in there. An infant, King Phil held in his strong arms. But it couldn't be that she would be ... .
Naga dazily reached for the bracelet under her cape, she had it since she could remember anything. Had it ever since ... There was some rustle behind her and she whirled around to see who it was. It was just one of the maid coming to say that King Phil awaits her at the Throne room. She nodded at the maid and found her way to the Throne room as quickly as possible. She didn't want to make the King of Seiruun mad at her.
Once everybody was joined in the Throne room, they were seated at once. King Phil told his daughter to start from the begin, what had happen during this 'journey'.
"Well, everything was find when we were well away from Seiruun, but then they attacked us and then ... .." Amelia did started from the beginning, explaining to Phil ever single detail there was. After a long hour, Amelia ended her 'story'.
" ... and then the Guards and someone from the Inverse Estate came and separated us up ... and.. that's it." Amelia told Phil, who listened intently from the very beginning.
"So ... they're Pirates?" Phil gestured to the group.
"Well, sort of, but they don't rob from innocent people Daddy! They're very good people and--and please don't put them in jail!!" Amelia begged her father with watery eyes.
"Why ever would I do that? They help you from the real pirates, didn't they? They deserve more like a reward." Phil said.
"Actually, Lina was the one who got rid of all those monsters. We were just wa -- "
"Shut up, Gourry! Or do you want to end up in jail?" Zel growled at Gourry. If the King knew they didn't do anything at all, they'd probably be thrown into the cells for kidnapping a princess for sure.
"So are you to visit Lady Lina soon, Amelia?" Phil asked.
"Well, yes, of course, but not until two or three days after. They should be clearing up everything by then. May we excuse ourselves, Daddy?" Amelia curtsied.
"Well, of course. Go and rest everyone. Relax and enjoy." Phil smiled while everyone moved out of the room.
"Hey Amelia, can't we go visit Lina now?" Gourry asked.
"No, Mr. Gourry, not now. We have to make sure that everything at the Inverse Estate is very well cleared. If not, the councilors will fuss about it. It's not at all Lady Luna I'm worried about, it's the councilors who taunt Ms. Lina all the time that I'm worried about." Amelia said, looking up.
"Come again?" Zel said, not really getting it.
"You know Ms. Lina's a street kid and all, right?" Amelia asked the group as they walk out of the castle hallway. Everybody nodded at the question given.
"Well, Lady Luna's okay with all of that, but the ones who have problems about it is the councilors who organize the estate. I even found out that once they were trying to persuade Lady Luna into throwing Ms. Lina out. Their reasons were simple: Lina is going to steal something, she's not suited to be in this position because she's just a street kid, or even because they think Ms. Lina was too 'dirty'. Well, they made a terrible mistake in saying that, because Lady Luna got really mad, and she's not one to get mad easily. After that affair, the councilors ease off for awhile, now they're trying to get Ms. Lina married to some rich, perverted bastard. Ms. Lina disapprove of this of course, saying she is too young to marry a guy that old, so then Lady Luna send Ms. Lina to escort me to meet my ... . friend." Amelia explained. The others nod in understanding.
"So we can't visit her yet because she'll get in trouble for it?" Gourry asked.
"Yes, that was exactly what I just explained to you." Amelia said. "Enjoy your stay for awhile here guys. It's going to be a couple if days before we get going."
Out of habit, Amelia curtsied and then caught what she was doing and blushed. She then disappeared among the many hallways of Seiruun Castle.
"Well, I guess I'll go back to my room, then." Zel said, heading back.
"Don't you want to go out of the castle to see the Seiruun City? It looks very, very big." Gourry said.
"No, thank you ... "
"Aww ... come on, Zel-buddy. It'll be fun." Xelloss said, putting a friendly arm around Zel.
"Get your hands off me. I'm not interested."
"Touchy." Xelloss said, as Zel glared at him and walked off. Xelloss, having nothing else to do followed Zel to bug him, and followed by Gourry trying to persuade Zel into going out into the Seiruun City. They all walked off leaving Naga behind. She didn't really cared.
I should go back to that place I was at. Naga thought and started towards the castle walls once more.
To Naga's surprise, there was a beautiful fountain behind the castle. Water still runs it, but it looked as if nobody had been here for several years. The fountain was full of moss, but somehow she could tell that the water was clear even running through moss. Did I used to come here? Naw.. it couldn't be. How could I have come here before? The orphanage and this castle is so far away from each other.
But it seem so familiar to her for some reason. Kind of like deus ja veus.
Something interrupted her trains of thought. She turned to see Amelia standing on the path Naga had used to come here, they took the same path.
"Hi, Miss Naga." Amelia greeted through a smile.
"Naga, will do. What brings you here, Princess?" Naga said, somehow she seemed so bonded with the Princess.
"You could just call me Amelia, no one will say anything, really ... ... I see someone had found my secret place in the castle." Amelia announced, standing beside Naga.
"Secret place?"
"Daddy said that here and where those dandelions grow is where Mother like to go the most. That is until she pasted away." Amelia said, her eyes saddening.
Something inside Naga twitched, very hard.
"I never got a chance to see her face, but those pictures on the castle walls help remind me that I have a mother. Did you see the little girl who was clutching my mom's leg? She's my older sister. Next in line to be the ruler of Seiruun. But she ran away so many years ago. Even before I saw her face." Amelia said.
Ran away. Mama died. No one cared.
Naga's head span like a washing machine. My memories! What's happening to my head? I've forgotten something! Something really important! What is it?!
"..uh ... princess, I think I'll be going now. I feel kind of ... dizzy.." Naga gave a false excuse and excused herself from the Princess' presents.
After Naga was well out of sight, Amelia spotted something shiny on the floor. Curious, she went to it and picked it up. It was a bracelet, a dragon designed bracelet like the one she had.
But that's impossible. The only people who have these bracelets were me and big ... .
Amelia gasped. Quite positive that Naga had dropped this. She putted the bracelet carefully in her pocket and went into the castle. Thinking it over and over, she was positive now.
It has to be her, oh please let it be her ... .
After a couple of days later, Gourry asked Amelia again if they could go and visit Lina.
"Mr. Gourry, you've been asking me that ever since I told you it would be in another couple of days! I know you're worried about her but please keep your patient." Amelia said, very princess-like.
"So is it time to go?" Gourry asked again.
Amelia slapped her forehead, Zel rolled his eyes, Naga wasn't listening, and Xelloss was giggling.
"Yes ... I believe it is time for us to make our present at the Inverse Estate. They should have cleared up the problems by now, so I suppose it's safe to say we could visit. So whenever you're ready, meet me at the castle's front gate." Amelia announced.
Everybody nodded and went forward to get ready to go to the Inverse Estate ... ..
I know this part focused too much on Naga, but I needed these parts to fill up some gap
There's going to be about 2 more episodes before it ends, so please read on.